The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile has announced that an additional point will be offered to F1 drivers who set the fastest lap of the race.
The new rule, which comes into effect from the first race of the 2019 F1 season, applies only to drivers who classify in the top 10. In other words, if a driver sets the fastest lap of the race, but finishes outside of the top 10, the bonus point will not be awarded to any driver for that weekend.
This isn’t the first time Formula 1 has offered such a rule, as points were given out for the fastest lap from the first championship race in 1950 to the end of the 1959 season.
F1 cars hit the track for the first race of the season this weekend in Melbourne, Australia. Keep an eye on the blog homepage, Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts for a full rundown in the next episode of The Unnamed F1 Podcast.
Cover image: Valtteri Bottas’ 2019 Mercedes-AMG W10 on track during testing in Barcelona.